Conference Faculty Blog – Michelle Johnson

I love sitting across from people and talking to them about the thing that makes their eyes sparkle. Love it. I could do it for hours; in fact, I have done it for hours. Nothing makes an author’s eyes sparkle like talking about their manuscript – their baby. But when sitting across from an agent it is difficult to stay calm.

My best advice to you is to remember that we are there because we love hearing about your books. We get just as excited as you do when we hear your brilliant stories. Remember that we are people, too, and most of us have sat at the other side of that table and pitched our own brilliant ideas to others, and remember that we are there for you. Ask us questions. Relax and be yourself and let your story shine through.

If it helps you, bring in your pitch in writing. It is not taboo to have notes, and nobody will penalize you for being nervous.

One last tip – when I request your pages, I will be asking for a query letter and a short synopsis as well, so you’ll want to have those ready to send.